(1) Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a self-aligning bracket assembly that is useful for mounting safety sensors that require precise alignment such as electric eyes wherein the self-aligning mechanism allows the sensors to be easily realigned. This invention is also a method for deactivating and then reactivating a sensor mechanism such as a garage door opener sensor using the self-aligning mechanism of this invention.
(2) Description of the Art
There are many different devices and systems that use sensors such as photoelectric sensors and radio frequency sensors that operate on a line of sight principal to detect when someone or something has broken a beam. For example, many stores have photoelectric sensors that detect when someone has entered the store and then activate a bell. One area where photoelectric sensors are required are in conjunction electric garage door openers. Photoelectric garage door sensors are located close to the ground and cause the garage door opener to cease closing and to return to the open position when the sensor beam is interrupted. This prevents animals, children, and humans from being injured by closing garage doors and it also prevents closing garage doors from damaging automobiles and other personal property.
In a garage door opener application, photoelectric sensors are rigidly attached to a wall or to some other stationary surface and orientated so that the sending sensor (the emitter) and the receiving sensor (the detector) are aligned. When alignment is lost, the sensors do not work. In the case of garage door openers, when the sensors go out of alignment, the garage door opener will open, but it will not close.
Since the garage door opener sensors are located close to the ground, they are prone to be banged by bicycles, automobiles, children and by various other items that can cause the garage door opener sensors to go out of alignment. When this happens, consumers typically must call a service technician who must realign the garage door opener sensors. The service visits are costly to the consumer and are time consuming to the service provider.
Because photoelectric sensors are easy to knock out of alignment and because their realignment is costly and time consuming, there is a need for a sensor assembly that is easily realigned when the sensor is banged or jarred out of alignment. In addition, there is a need for a sensor mechanism that can be purposely adjusted to bring the sensors out of alignment so that, for instance, a garage door cannot be accidentally closed.